Checking means for loom picking mechanism



May 22, 1956 B. w. BROUWER ET AL 2,745,487

CHECKING MEANS FOR LOQM PICKING MECHANISM Filed June 22, 1953 R E W U M A J RAYMOND F. DION ATTORNEY United sees mo i e w m-H un H in u. .r.. hush. a "Mun. ms .hi

HECK NG DR LQQM HCKlN "Benjamin W. Brouwer, Auburn, and Raymond Dion, Worcester, Mass., assignors itp Crompton & Knowles L om W rks, Wor ste a co po at on of Massachus tt Application June 22 1953, Serial No. 363,054 1.2 Claims- (Cl- 1 9-1 be a tua ed by e o m pa t nd ope ati e y co cte by .s

a s e p stick to th p c e s ck of the OOID- Dur n th picking operation the shaft and the other parts associated with it were g e is apid motion and ten t c nt m v n a te t e shu t h le t e Picker si e n a e sehe h ly iQIDP QWdIO ab o b m io of he pp pan lof th pi ker i ehrsnoh a a e l nt uff on a sicker spind e, n sueh m ans dono a s rb the momenmm f the pickin ass mbly ex ept by transm sion of the-momentum t se throu h h picke st ckit is an hnno tan objec of the in ention. to. p vide check o stop m an hich wi l anest m t on o the P rts iis s ekh s shaf indep ndently o any v ekns h c the e done the nne end f the pi lse st c and t acc mplish thi e ult pr erably by means which p a e a asse t body, such as soft ubber, insh r stres to av idrebound- 'i v w i It a further objec of the i ention to pro d t P cking assembly with a wedge element which passesbetween two check members near the end of the picking stroke and .is arrested :by them for the purpose of stopping the picking assembly without subjecting the picker stick-to additional strain.

It is a still further object of the invention to pivot the aforesaid check members about'a-xes more or less parallel (to the plane in which the wedge element moves to enable them to swing to relieve pressure on the wedge element on the return motion of the picker stick. Relief of the pressure is further ensured by making the check members with rounded wedge engaging surfaces which are convex toward said plane.

it is another object of the invention to provide stop or support means which will prevent pivotal motion of the check members when they are engaged by the/wedge near the end of the picking operation but which are adjustable to vary-the timeof enga-gementofthe wedge elernc' nt with the check members; o

It is a further object of the inyeution to mount the cheek members on eccentrics or the like by means of which their distance from the plane of movement of'the 2,746,487 Patented Ma y22, 1956 P ep ra ory to (a check ng ope a io w th resp t e wedge element,

Fig- 4 i a plan iew on an nlarged s e look ng in t e d eetl onofsr w i ig.1,, 1. i t i F g is a d ailed verti al ec ion n lin 5? Figs. 6 and 7 are diagrammatic views showing the ma n r of operati n o the in ti n Referring to Fig. 1, the loom frame 1 supports a lay 2 having a shuttle box 3 with which there is'associated in the present ,instancea-picker spindle 4 alongwhich a shuttle picker 5 can slide. The inner end of the Picker spindle, the left end as viewed in Fig. 1, is surrounded by a res li n nifer 6 which may b f us a o m to en e the pieke near t e end o a pic operation Th o m i pr ide h s pic ing sh t 10 which i p o d in u ua m nner t o k on o carried b ings one of which is indicated at 11, This shaft has secured thereto a cam 12 for engagement with a picking roll 13 on an arm 14 secured to the bottom'loom shaft 15. This latter shaft will ordinarily turn once for every second Picking operation so that the roll 13 will engage the cam on alternate picks of the loom, but the inventi n is not limited to this particula ti ng of the picking opera on- Secured to the shaft 10 is a power arm 16 the upper end of which is pivoted to a sweep stick 17 at '18. The outer or right end of the sweep stick as shown in Fig. '1 has secured thereto a lug strap 19 which extends around ,a picker stick 20 engaging the picker 5 at its upper end and pivoted at its lower end at 21 to the usual rocker iron 22 or the loom; A return spring 23 acts to move the picker stick outwardly to its normal position shown in Fig. 1 after apickingoperation.

In the operation of the matter thus far described rotation of the bottom shaft 15 will cause periodic engagement of the roll 13 with the cam 12 to rock the picking shafit 10 in a counter-clockwisedirection as yiewed in Fig. 1 to move the sweep stick 17a nd the picker stick 2 0 to the left for the purpose of performing the shuttle picking operation. 'After the roll 13 leaves the cam 12 wedge element may be changed to vary the amount of force they exert on the wedge element.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood reference is made 041118 accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example the embodiments of the vention and iuwhich: i Fig. l is a rear elevation of the lower part of one en. of the ioopn showing the invention applied thereto,

i Fig. 2 is .auenlarged' vertical .sect ion online flrs-z, Fig.1;

showing the checked members in their normal position 1 extend ng rean a d y and upwardly-as s ggested in Fig.- 2

upon completion of the picking operation the picker stick will be returned toits outer position by the spring 23. The picking shaft -therefore rocks in one direction to effect a picking operation and thereafter rocks in the opposite direction when returning to its normal position ,s' -ep re r the est pi king operation- T 1? nst r ilillsfardexfibd is of usual construction and is se th a known sto m o i ing e hen sn with hich he p e ent in ent on may be as oc a n ar ying the p e nt i nti n n o efieo the-sh ,4 has sec red tbe eige che ker-in 2. which moves thep s ns h.e-ii n ;both he or in 'n eh st kes hereof, a d the upp r end of this rmis' tor-m with a w dge e ement .26 shown for instance i'n'Fi s. *3

and 41- "The arm i25n'1ay be formed with'a hub 27 which secured to the shaft 10 so' that 'any'restraining force i applied to the a'rm'and wedge will be communicated to the shaft 10, cam 12-, picker arm 16, and sweep stick '17. The'wedge has inclined surfaces 529 for a purpose to be described. i i

a Th l o f ame nclude its con t uct n a brace .3

and he ine'fl ns s ex endin la e a l fr m a web \32- A support 3:5 is secur d by bolts .36 o th web 3. tween he danc s a suggested Fig- 2 and s ma e wit up a dly stendi swsnn ii?- io whish-a d piesdins carrier 38 is secured by bolts 39. The lower part of the carrier 38 is formed with a foot 40 which supports two horizontally spaced pivot studs 41 and "42. One end of each of these studs has an eccentric 43 and a head 44, while the opposite end is provided ,With screw threads 45 and a nut 46 to engage foot '40 to hold the angular setting ofthe eccentric43.

' The studs 41 and 42 support check members 50 and 51, respectively, which are alike but. of opposite hand. Each check member as contemplated herein is made with a metallic .body 52 and is provided with a .bore 53 to fit the associated eccentric 43. Each of the bodies 52 is located between the head 44 of the corresponding stud and the foot 40 and can'turn' on itseccentric.

Each check member is made with a body of resilient material 55, such as elastic rubber or the like, which is preferably cemented to the body 52 and has a friction facing 56 of flexible wear resisting material, such as leather, cemented thereto. The upper end of each body 55 and wear resisting material 56 is held to its body 52 by a screw 57 and a second screw 58 holds the lower ends of these parts of the body. Each check member is rounded as clearlyshown in Fig. 3 and is convex toward theplane in which the wedge 26 moves. Stops 59 secured to foot 40 extend over the check members to limit upward movement thereof.

Depending from the foot 40 are arms 60 into which are tapped screws 61 which serve as supports or stops for the check members. Each screw 61 has a head 62 to engage the under side of the corresponding check member and the lower end of each screw 61 is tapped into a stand 63 which rests on the floor or is otherwise supported. Check nuts 64 and 65 on each screw 61 hold the vertical setting of the latter after it has been adjusted to determine the position of the associated check member.

In operation, the parts will normally be in the position shown in Fig. 1 with the picker stick 20 in its outer position preparatory to a shuttle picking operation. As the shaft rocks in a counter-clockwisedirection, Fig. 1, it will move the arm 25 and wedge 26 downwardly and cause the lower end-of the wedge element 26 to engage the Wear resisting facings 56 of the check members. The relation of the parts at this time is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 6. As the wedge element continues to move downwardly its inclined surfaces 29 cause the rubber parts to be deformed relative to their bodies 52 in the direction of movement of the wedge element.

.Therubber bodies are thus placed in shear stress and take the form shown in Fig. 7, where it will be seen that the upper part of the rubber has been stretched thin as at 70, while the lower part has increased in thickness as at 71. This change in the shapeof the rubber parts is due in part at least to frictional engagement of the facings 56 with the wedge element, and as the rubber is deformed the wedge element is brought to rest.

During checking of the wedge, rocking motion of the check members around their eccentrics 43 will be prevented by the stop or support screws 61. The advantage of making the check members as shown and described is that the rubber is placed in shear stress and there is very little if any-rebound such as exists in previously known checks wherein stop arms have moved directly against a rubber body in such manner as to place it under compression stress The rebound of previous checks places the picking assembly under additional strain, since the assembly is not only stopped but is immediately subjected to a force acting in the opposite-direction.

During the picking operation the upperend of the picker stick will be arrested by the previously described butter 6 but the sweep stick and the shaft 10 due to their momentum will tend to continue motion in the direction induced by the roll 13 and cam 12. It is found that without adequate checking this momentum places the picker stick under an additional strain, as can be demonstrated by a strain gauge on the sweep stick connected .their' eccentrics 43 to inoperative position, and then returning them to their operative position. A further indication of the efficac'y of the check members is indicated by the sound in the operation of the loom, a noticeable sharp sound audible when the check members are in inoperative position disappearing as soon as the check members are moved to their operative position as shown in Fig. 3.

When the motion of the picking assembly has been completely arrested the spring 23 will then exert a force tending to move the picker stick 20 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. l and the wedge element 26 due to its shape can be pulled up away from the check members. This upward motion is also facilitated by the fact that the wedge members are pivoted and are free to rise from their stops 61 and follow the wedge until disengaged from it during return motion of the picker stick to its normal position.

While the wedge element and its arm have been shown as a separate part clamped to the picking shaft 10, the invention is not necessarily limited to a wedge element thus supported, and it will be sufficient if the wedge element is made to move with any part secured to the shaft 10 and rocking with the latter during a picking operation.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention sets forth simple means by which the picking assembly of the loom can be arrested at the end of a shuttle picking operation by check members which employ soft elastic bodies, such as rubber, which are deformed by a wedge and placed under shear stress. There will probably be a slight amount of compression of the rubber, but the greater part of the stress to which it is subjected by the wedge will be in the direction of shear, as willbe apparent from Fig. 7. It will also be seen that the check members have rounded parts whichare convex to the plane of movement of the wedge element, thereby permitting easy release of the element on its return movement. The stops 61 can be adjusted to vary the vertical position of those parts of the check rnemberwhich engage the wedge to alter the time of engagement during the picking stroke. If it is desired to-change the checking force without material alteration in the time at which the checking begins the eccentrics 43 can be turned to move the check members either toward or from the plane in which the wedge element moves. The picking assembly rocks in one direction during shuttle picking operation to cause engagement of the wedge element with the check members, and thereafter has a reverse motion to move the wedge away from the check members, the latter being pivoted to move upwardly with the wedge element to relieve squeezing pressure on the Wedge, after which the check members can fall back to their normal position in which they are supported by the stops 61. The screws 41 are substantially parallel to the plane in which the wedge swings, but exact parallelism may not be necessary in all instances.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, what is claimed is:

1. In checking means for the shuttle picking assembly of a loom including a picking shaft which rocks during a picking operation to effect shuttle picking, a wedge element forming part of said picking assembly and moving therewith when the shaft rocks during a picking operation, a pair of normally stationary check members, one for engagement with each side of the wedgeelement, and a resilient body on each'check member positioned to be deformed by the wedge element to arrest motion of said picking assembly near the end of the shuttle picking operation.

2. The checking means set forth in claim 1 wherein each resilient body has a flexible wear resisting facing which directly engages the wedge element and transmits deforming forces from said wedge element to said resilient bodies.

3. The checking means set forth in claim 1 wherein said wedge element moves in a plane perpendicular to the picking shaft during the picking operation and the resilient bodies are located one on eachside of the plane and are rounded and convex toward said plane.

4. The checking means set forth in claim 1 wherein 'said resilientbodies are soft elastic rubber and the wedge element when being checked by said check members deforms said rubberin such manner as to place it under greater shear stress than compressive stress.

5. The checking means set forth in claim 1 wherein said wedge element moves in a plane perpendicular tothe picking shaft and said check members are pivoted to rock about axes substantially parallel tosaid plane and means are provided to adjust the position of the check members around their axes to vary the time of engagement of the. wedge element with the check members incident'to the picking operation.

6. The checking means set forth in claim 1 wherein said wedge element moves ina plane perpendicular to the picking shaft and said check members are pivoted to rock about axes substantially parallel to said plane and means are provided to adjust the position of the axes toward and from said plane to vary the force exerted on the wedge element by the check members incident to the picking operation.

7. The checking means set forth in claim 1 wherein the resilient body on each check member is rubber cemented to the member and afacing of friction material is to the picking shaft when the picking shaft rocks in said one direction and in said opposite direction, a pair of normally stationary check members, one for engagement with each side of the .wedge member, and a resilient body on each check member positioned to be deformed in the direction of motion of the wedge element by the latter when the picking shaft moves in said one direction near the end of the picking operation to arrest motion of the picking assembly and said wedge element during said opposite motion of the picking shaft moving in a direction away from said resilient bodies and the deformed parts of said resilient bodies thereupon recovering theirnormal form by motion in the direction of movement of the wedge element when the shaft moves Y in said opposite direction. 9. The checking means set forth in claim 8 wherein said check members are mounted for pivotal movement about axes substantially parallel to and located on opposite sides of said plane, and stopmeans prevents movement of said check means in the direction of motion of the wedge element when the picking shaft rocks in said one direction but enables said check members to rock about their axes and have a movement with said Wedge element when the shaft moves in said opposite direction.

10. The checking means 'set forth in claim 8 wherein said check members are mounted for pivotal movement about axes substantially parallel to and located on opposite sides of said plane, and said. check members are mounted on eccentrics which are adjustable angularly to vary the distance between said axes and said plane to vary the force exerted on the wedge element by said check members.

11. In checking means for the shuttle picking assembly of a loom including a picking shaft which rocks on the frame during a picking operation to eflect shuttle picking, a check arm secured to and rocking with the picker shaft and having a wedge shaped element thereon moving with the picking shaft when the latter rocks during a picking operation, a pair of normally stationary check members, one for engagement with each side of the wedge element, and a body of soft elastic rubber secured to each check member and positioned to be deformed in the direction of motion of the wedge element by the latter relative to the check member when the wedge element engages ,the check members to arrest motion of the picking assembly near the end of a shuttle picking operation.

12. In checking means for the shuttle picking assembly of a loom having a picking shaft which rocks in one direction during a picking operation to effect shuttle picking and then rocks in the opposite direction, a wedge element secured to and rocking with the picker shaft and moving in a given plane perpendicular to the picking shaft when the picking shaft rocks in said'one direction and in said opposite direction, a pair of normally stationary check members, one for frictional engagement with each side of the wedge member, pivoted on opposite sides of said plane to swing about axes substantially parallel to said plane, supports to prevent movement of said check members about their axes in the direction of movement of the wedge element during a picking operation, and a resilient body on each check member positioned to be deformed in the direction of movement of the wedge element when the latter engages the check members incident to movement of said shaft in said one direction to arrest motion of the picking assembly, said check members due to frictional engagement thereof with said wedge element swinging about their axes in the direction of movement of the wedge element when the picking shaft moves in said opposite direction to relieve pressure between the check members and the wedge element.

References Cited mine file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,262,255 Sargent -i Nov. 11,1941 2,330,519 Santon Sept. 28, 1943 2,642,093 Picanol June 16, 1953 

